it's green because it says so

From CTV today: Consumer advocates say labeling on products needs to be clearer since some items claiming to be green may not be more environmentally friendly...Environmentalists are concerned about the labeling of products and the process of "greenwashing."

As words like eco-friendly, natural, and green permeate our collective vocabulary, companies looking to profit need go no further than simply labeling their products as such. Most consumers, unfortunately, are duped by what is in reality, very simple marketing.

Picture it: you're in the supermarket aisle, choosing dish soap. Two different brands stare back at you (realistically, more like 43, but go with me here), both the same price for the same amount of liquid. One bottle is green and says 'all-natural' next to the little smiling flower on its label; the other bottle is yellow and says dish soap.

Which will you pick up? The green one, most likely, if you're reading this blog. But what the hell makes dish soap A all-natural? I'm willing to bet the ingredients are the same in both. And hey, triclosan, IS an organic compound ... meaning it is a chemical compound that contains carbon, not to be confused with a natural compound, which comes from a plant or animal source. But I digress...

The point is, as consumers we need to buy less. Period. And what we do buy, we need to be smart about. Read the full article at CTV Winnipeg ~>

way better than sunday school

TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, brainchild behind the Sins of Greenwashing reports, has launched an online game to encourage consumers to make smarter, greener purchasing choices - and avoid the Seven Sins of Greenwashing.

“Name that Sin” is a custom-built Flash application that challenges players with a variety of multiple choice questions, such as identifying a legitimate eco-label from a fake one.

Other questions ask players to select the correct “Greenwashing Sin” that a product claim is committing. The game is designed to play more than once, with new questions added each time.

So go on! Play it now at sinsofgreenwashing.org or on Facebook.

all natural green eco recycled stuff

Greenwashing is the new price chopping. Underhanded, unethical practices meant to increase sales. Walmart has been there, done that when they cut prices so low in the 90s that smaller businesses simply could not keep up. They closed, and Walmart raised its prices.

Now, every company and their brother is determined to get on the green bandwagon. Things they didn't care about 5 years ago (recycling), things people were laughed out of boardrooms for even mentioning (less packaging), these are now things entire departments are dedicated to promoting.

Green product packaging - and I mean the color green, not the make-up of the packaging itself - is a proven way to convince us that whatever is inside is good for the planet. Slap an "all-natural" or "eco-friendly" tag on that and you'll have us salivating for more.

To illustrate:

The Amazing Dryer Ball of infomercial fame

becomes Nellie's Dryer Balls. Same product, same plastic, still made in China.



The fact is, there are no regulatory bodies to approve these claims (such as the ones that monitor and enforce nutritional labels on packaging). Anyone can claim their product is somehow "green," and the worst part is, it takes away from businesses that are actually offering honest eco-friendly products and packaging.

So be careful out there.

Thanks to Andrew Kinnear and his post Green, Leafy, Eco, Enviro, logo design for the great compilation of logos.

9 things people do...

...to feel less-guilty on Earth Day:

1. take public transit (and ask the driver how much it costs)

2. use a travel coffee mug (and ask if there's a discount)

3. plant a tree (with the help of local kids who know what to do)

4. buy organic produce (and balk at the cost and vibrant colors)

5. pick up litter (as long as it's not too dirty)

6. put batteries aside for disposal (instead of in the garbage)

7. wear green (st. paddy's day was last month?)

8. whip out the credit card and donate to an eco-charity online

9. drive the fam to an earth-day event (if the irony is lost...)

slap 'green' on it and go

If you're like us, you've probably noticed that every company seems to be promoting their wares as green these days, from water bottles that 'help save the planet' to disposable household cleaning cloths that 'save water.'

You're right to question these claims, and look behind the ad-speak to ask what's really going on. TerraChoice, a reputable environmental marketing agency, has long been warned consumers against 'greenwashing'.

We've talked about their 'six sins' before, but given the amount of green-s^%t out there, we thought it was worth a repeat:

Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off
e.g. paper (including household tissue, paper towel and copy paper)“Okay, this product comes from a sustainably harvested forest, but what are the impacts of its milling and transportation? Is the manufacturer also trying to reduce those impacts?”

Emphasizing one environmental issue isn’t a problem (indeed, it often makes for better communications). The problem arises when hiding a trade-off between environmental issues.

Sin of No Proof
e.g. Personal care products (such as shampoos and conditioners) that claim not to have been tested on animals, but offer no evidence or certification of this claim. Company websites, third-party certifiers, and toll-free phone numbers are easy and effective means of delivering proof.

Sin of Vagueness
e.g. Garden insecticides promoted as “chemical-free.” In fact, nothing is free of chemicals. Water is a chemical. All plants, animals, and humans are made of chemicals as are all of our products. If the marketing claim doesn’t explain itself (“here’s what we mean by ‘eco’ …”), the claim is vague and meaningless.

Similarly, watch for other popular vague green terms: “non-toxic”, “all-natural”, “environmentally-friendly”, and “earth-friendly.”

Sin of Irrelevance
e.g. CFC-free oven cleaners, CFC free shaving gels, CFC-free window cleaners, CFC-disinfectants. Could all of the other products in this category make the same claim?

The most common example is easy to detect: Don’t be impressed by CFC-free! Ask if the claim is important and relevant to the product. (If a light bulb claimed water efficiency benefits you should be suspicious.) Comparison-shop (and ask the competitive vendors

Sin of Fibbing
e.g. Shampoos that claims to be “certified organic”, but for which our research could find no such certification. When I check up on it, is the claim true? The most frequent examples in this study were false uses of third-party certifications. Thankfully, these are easy to confirm.

Legitimate third-party certifiers – EcoLogoCM, Chlorine Free Products Association (CFPA), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Green Guard, Green Seal (for example) – all maintain publicly available lists of certified products. Some even maintain fraud advisories for products that are falsely claiming certification.

Sin of the Lesser of Two Evils
e.g. Organic tobacco. “Green” insecticides and herbicides. Is the claim trying to make consumers feel ‘green’ about a product category that is of questionable environmental benefit? Consumers concerned about the pollution associated with cigarettes would be better served by quitting smoking than by buying organic cigarettes.

Similarly, consumers concerned about the human health and environmental risks of excessive use of lawn chemicals might create a bigger environmental benefit by reducing their use than by looking for greener alternatives.

TerraChoice's BLOG.

For more brain food, check out WWF's new video: “How many resources and pollutants does it take to make a light bulb?”

B is for biking to school

Great article from Vivian Song of Sun Media on the ABCs of going back to school in a green way.

A new school year means a fresh new start that can include greening your kids' daily curriculum. Here are the ABCs for parents, students and teachers on how to become eco-friendly.

A is for apple.

Canada exports approximately 50,000 tonnes of fresh apples annually, mostly to the U.S. About 62 per cent of Canadian exports are from BC, while 26 per cent originate from Ontario. Meanwhile, Canada imports apples year-round from the U.S. Chile, South Africa, New Zealand and Argentina.

Folly? Yes. So send a message to apple farmers, and shine a locally-grown apple for your favourite teacher.

V is for Vintage and Q is for questioning claims that could be greenwashing - we love it. Full article here

competition watchdog tests green marketing claims

Canada's Competition Bureau has issued new guidelines that will push companies touting their products as being eco-friendly to back up their claims, and prohibit the use of vague claims suggesting the product may help improve the environment.

"Businesses should not make environmental claims unless they can back them up. In the end, this will benefit legitimate businesses and consumers by bringing greater accuracy in advertising to the marketplace," competition commissioner Sheridan Scott said in a release.

The bureau said companies will be given one year to reassess and change their product packaging to conform with the standards. Failure to meet the government requirements on labelling products could result in criminal or civil charges, as well as product seizure.

Last November, TerraChoice Environmental Marketing conducted a survey of 1,018 products and found that all but one made exaggerated environmental claims. Read the full report - Six Sins of Greenwashing.

Source: CBC

apparently they think we're quite daft

Even the Aussies are mocking our Fur Council's smear campaign. Kristen Le Mesurier from the Sydney Morning Herald writes In some parts of the world you can't move for carbon neutral holidays, low carbon showers and packaging that's natural, sustainable, or biodegradable. I used to get excited about this. I took it as evidence that everyone's woken up to the fact that things had to change.

Wrong. Companies had woken up to a huge marketing opportunity. Richard Watson, innovation blogger at Fast Company points out the Fur Council in Canada that's producing an ethical eco-fabric slogan: "Protecting nature while pampering yourself."

Well my face is red. Check out one of their 'public service ads' that would have us all believe fur comes from a small number of creatures, and only after a traditional Cree family has sat down in their teepee and eaten every last morsel of the thing.

The best line from their website is this wowzer: Conservation authorities support the sustainable use of wildlife (and other renewable resources) because if we don’t use part of what nature provides, we will use other (man-made) materials that may damage the environment.

We've spoken often about greenwashing here at footprint. This is perhaps the saddest example of what we mean. Don't believe the hype people.

Read what Treehugger has to say and visit PETA's groovy Fur is Dead site.